Extensible rack and shelf for supporting and illuminating sheet music



P. M. FULLER 2,542,502

EXTENSIBLE RACK AND SHELF FOR SUPPORTING AND ILLUMINATING SHEET MUSIC Filed Aug. 23, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 20, 1951 Feb. 20, 1951 P. M. FULLER EXTENSIBLE RACK AND SHELF FOR SUPPORTING AND ILLUMINATING SHEET MUSIC 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 23, 1946 Feb. 20, 1951 P. M. FULLER EXTENSIBLE RACK AND SHELF FOR SUPPORTING AND ILLUMINATING SHEET MUSIC 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 23, 1946 fi i l j Feb.20, 1951 P. M. FULLER EXTENSIBLE RACK AND SHELF FOR SUPPORTING AND ILLUMINATING SHEET MUSIC Filed Aug. 23, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 50 10 W i W Patented Feb. 20, 1951 EXTENSIBLE BACK AND SHELF FOR SUP- PORTING AND ILLUMINATING SHEET 7 MUSIC Paul M. Fuller, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. North Tonawanda, N. Y., acorporation of Ohio ApplicationAugust23, 1946, Serial No. 692,440

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a music rack of improved construction which is built into the cabinet of a musical instrument in such manner as to render the rack more readily available for use, and yet inconspicuous when it is not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a music rack of the type described which combines aesthetic appeal with utility. and which is arranged in an improved manner to support sheet music at any desired angle and at various dis-. tances from the musician.

Another object of the invention is to provide a music rack of the type described which includes a concealed illuminating means which is arranged to distribute light in an improved manner over both the sheet music which is supported by the rack and the instrument keyboard and instrumentalities which are disposed'beneath the rack.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable music rack including an improved arrangement of concealed illuminating means which is disposed to'cast a soft difiused light over sheet music supported by the rack; and including means for adjusting the angle of incidence of the light on the sheet music.

These and other objects of the invention will be more fully understood upon a perusal of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an organ incor-j porating a music rack which is constructed. in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of the organ shown, taken along the line '3-3 of Fig. 1, with the music rack shown in the position it occupies when not in use;

Fig. 3 is a. sectional view similar to Fig. 2 with the music rack shown in its operative or open position;

Fig. 4 is a view of the music rack and portions of the organ, as seen from the top of Fig. 1, with the lid of the organ removed to reveal the music rack disposed within the organ cabinet, and with portions of the rack broken away to reveal certain details of construction thereof;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view showing portions of the music rack and organ cabinet, as seen from the right of Fig. 3, with a portion of the music rack broken away to reveal the internal construction thereof; I 7

17 Claims. (01.84-480) Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 66 of Fig. 2, of portions of the music rack and organ cabinet;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line l'l of Fi 2, showing portions of the music rack and organ cabinet; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the lightdiffusing and sheet support panels which forms a part of the music rack.

The organ shown in Fig. 1, which has been set forth for illustrative purposes to show one preferred embodiment of the invention, is housed in a cabinet III which includes a key-bed I2 supporting keyboards l4 and I6 in any suitable approved manner. Along the rear edge of the keybed 12 there extends a vertical panel or nameboard 18 from which a row of stop tablets 20 extend over the uppe keyboard [4, as is customary in organ structures. A music rack, including a horizontal shelf or drawer portion 22 and a sheet rest pane'1'24, extends from the name-board 13. In accordance with the present invention, the music rack is slidably supported within the cabinet lfl in such manner as to permit the rack to assume the operative position shown in Fig. 1, or to be moved into a position substantially flush is not in use, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring now more in particular to Figs. 2 to 8,.it' will be seen that the music rack 22, 24 is supported by spaced guide rails 25, forming a part of the cabinet structure, which extend between the name-board l8 and a rear wall 28 of the cabinet and abut the lid 38 thereof. The guide rails 26 are each provided with a pair of spaced parallel grooves 32 and 34 which register with longitudinally extending rectangular openings in the name-board I8.

A rectangular frame 36, including a pair of side strips 38 and front and rear strips 40, is slidably secured inthe upper set of grooves 32 in the guide rails 25'. The forward edges of the side strips 38 are recessed to receive a pair of brackets 42 which are fixedly secured to and extend beyond the forward edge of the frame 3% A pair of cylindrical lugs 44 are riveted to the brackets 42 and engage longitudinally extending recesses 46 in the edges of the sheet rest panel 24.

When the panel 24' is in a horizontal position and is disposed within the cabinet ID, the panel lies within grooves 32 and is supported along its edges by the guide rails 26. In order to permit ready grasping. of the panel 24 for moving it to operative position, it is provided with a shallow longitudinally extendin groove 48 along its forward edge to form a finger grip which extends slightly beyond the name-board I8 when the panel is disposed within the cabinet. When the music rack is to be placed in service, the panel 24 is gripped at the forward edge thereof and is drawn out until the rear or bottom edge clears the name-board It. The panel 24 is then pivoted on the studs 44 to a vertical, or somewhat inclined, position and finally is lowered until its beveled rear or lower edge engages one or the grooves in the shelf 22.

The shelf or drawer 22, which is slidable in grooves 34, comprises a front 01' facing panel 50 and a rear strip :12, between which strips 54 extend at the center and ends thereof. Intermediate longitudinal strips 56 ex Lend between the side and center strips 54. The iront panel W and the strips 54 and c are grooved, rigs. 2 and 3, to receive translucent plastic or glass windows 58 which serve to diffuse light emitted by and transmitted downwardly from fluorescent lamps 50. These lamps are mounted in sockets 62 secured to the side and center strip 54 and are located slightly to the rear 01' the front panel 5d.

The strips 56 are provided with openings 6| through which wires may be extended from lamps 60 to a suitable source of potential in series with ballasts disposed within the cabinet hi. As will be understood, the wires are provided with sufficient slack to enable the shelf 2.4 to be drawn the desired distance out of the cabinet. For the sake of clarity and simplicity, the ballasts and the connections to the lamp have been omitted from the drawings.

Grooves 54 extend along the front and side walls of the two rectangles defined by the front panel 50 and strips 52 and 54, which are spaced a short distance from the upper side of the frame 22. The grooves 64 communicate with recesses 66 in the strips 54, the arrangement being such as to enable translucent plastic or glass panels 68, Fig. 8, to be lowered through the recesses into engagement with the shoulder portions of strips 54, and then move forward until their forward edges engage the front panel 50.

The translucent panels 68 are retained in position by flange portions 59 which extend along the front and side edges thereof and lit into the grooves 64, and by narrow strips which are screwed to the upper surface of the strips 56, after the panels have been moved into position, and abut the rear edges of the panels to hold them firmly in place.

Access to the lamps 6G is obtained by removing the screws holding the strips 19, and sliding the translucent panels 68 rearwardly a sufiicient distance to expose the lamps. The lamps may then be removed from the sockets 62 in the usual manner for replacement or repair.

The drawer .22 is provided with a knob or handle 63 to enable the drawer to be withdrawn from the cabinet when it is desired to use the music rack. If desired, the knob 63 may be attached to a shaft extending through the panel 50 from a switch secured to the rear side thereof and connected to control the operation of lamps B0.

The upper surfaces of the translucent panels 68 are provided with a series of longitudinally extending recesses 01 grooves 12 shaped to match the contour of the beveled edge of sheet rest panel 24. The strips 54 are similarly recessed or grooved to match the recesses in the panels 68. These recesses serve several purposes. One is to secure the lower edge of panel 24 in a desired position. A second purpose of the recesses is to ill 4. receive the lower margin of sheet music placed on the music rack, to effect its support.

A third purpose of the recesses is to form prisms in panels 68 which direct the light radiated by the fluorescent lamps 60 to the sheet music supported by the music rack in the desired manner. The front faces of the prisms are preferably frosted or painted to shield the organists eyes; while the rear faces, through which the light is directed onto the sheet music, are left clear.

Part of the light which emanates from the lamps 60 passes through the lower windows 58 to impinge on the keyboards l4 and l 6 and the stop tablets 211 of the organ. The angle of incidence of the light rays on the keys and stops may be varied by drawing the shelf 22 different distances beyond the name-board I8. In like manner, the angle of incidence of the light rays on the sheet music supported by the panel 24 and grooves 12 in the upper'surface of the shelf 22 can be varied by changing the relative angular and lateral disposition of the panel 24 relative to the shelf 22. For example, for a particular inclination of the panel 24, the angle of incidence of the light rays impinging thereon may be varied over a considerable extent by engaging the beveled edge thereof in different ones of the grooves 12 in the upper surface of the drawer 22; or, for a particular lateral position of panel 24, the angle of incidence of the light rays impinging thereon may be varied by moving the frame 36 and drawer 22 in opposite directions to tilt the panel 24 a desired amount. The distance between the sheet music and the musician or organist may be varied by drawing the frame 36 and drawer 22 equal distances out of the cabinet, without af fecting the angle of inclination of the panel 24 or the angle at which the light rays emitted by the lamp 60 strike the panel.

It should now be apparent that a music rack for a console type musical instrument has been provided which is so located in the instrument cabinet as to be very unnoticeable when not in use, and at the same time may be readily moved to operative position, and presents an artistic appearance when it is withdrawn from the cabinet to support sheet music during playing of the instrument.. The music rack provides a maximum degree of flexibility in positioning the music and also serves the dual functions of illuminating the musicwhich it supports and of illuminating the playing keys of the instrument in which it is in-.- corporated. Furthermore, the music rack is constructed in such manner as to enable the music to be illuminated at various angles to avoid any possibility of glare which would prove tiring to the musician. The soft diffused light which results from the use of fluorescent lamps in conjunction with translucent windows provides ample illumination for the musician and at the same time is not sufficiently bright to distract the attention of an audience.

While a paricular embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described by way of illustration, it should be apparent that various modifications thereof are possible without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and therefore it is the aim of the appended claims to include all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a musical instrument cabinet including an upper fixed panel and a panel having an opening therein, the combination of a mus c. 1 rack, means for supporting said rack within the cabinet and beneath said fixed panel with portions of the rackdisposed Within. the opening substantially flush with said second panel to present an.

inconspicuous appearance, and means extendable through the opening to support said rack in operative position at a plurality of different selected distances but at the same angle of inclination in.

front of said panel when the rack is employed to support sheet musicgthereon.

2. In a musical instrument cabinet including a panel having an opening therein and a fixed panel above said opening, the combination of a frame, means slidably securing the frame within said cabinet in alignment with said opening and below said fixed panel, a music rack, and means pivotally securing the rack to said frame, said rack being rotatable to an inclined position in front of said first panel to support sheet music and being rotatable and slidable into the cabinet to a position flush with said first panel and below said fixed panel, whereby the rack is made inconspicuous when not in use, and said frame being slidable a plurality of different selected distances outwardly from the cabinet to effect the variable positioning of the rack at a constant angle of inclination in sheet music supporting position.

3. In a musical instrument cabinet including the combination of a name-board, a shelf, means shiftably supporting the shelf extending from said name-board, said shelf having parallel longitudinally extending grooves therein, a music supporting panel, and means rotatable and slide.-

bly securing the panel above said shelf, the shelf being shiftable and the lower edge of said panel being movable into engagement with any of the grooves in said shelf to adjust both the position and inclination of sheet music supported thereby.

4. In a musical instrument including a cabinet and a keyboard extending from one side thereof, the combination of a shelf, means shiftably supporting the shelf within said cabinet for extension over said keyboard, and a lamp carried by the extensible portion of said shelf for variably illuminating said keyboard when the shelf is extended thereover.

5. In a musical instrument including a cabinet and a keyboard extending from one side thereof, the combination of a shelf, means shiftably supporting the shelf within said cabinet for extension above said keyboard, said shelf havin longitudinally extending grooves in the upper surface thereof for supporting sheet music, and a lamp carried by the extending portion of said shelf for variably illuminating the sheet music supported on the shelf when it is extended from the cabinet.

6. In a musical instrument including a cabinet and a keyboard extending from one side thereof, the combination of a shelf, means shiftably supporting the shelf in said cabinet for extension above said keyboard, a panel, means shiftably securing the panel in said cabinet for extension over said shelf, said panel being movable into an inclined position with its lower edge resting on said shelf, and a lamp carried by the extending portion of said shelf for variably illuminating said keyboard and sheet music supported by said panel and shelf.

7. In a musical instrument includin a cabinet and a keyboard extending from one side thereof, the combination of a hollow shelf, means shiftably securing the shelf in said cabinet for extension over said keyboard, a panel, means shiftably securing the panel in said cabinet for extension over said shelf, said panel being. movable. into an inclined position with its lower edge resting on said shelf, and a lamp disposed in said shelf for illuminating said. keyboard and sheet music supported by said panel and shelf, said shelf having a translucent window therein for diffusing the light radiated by said lamp.

8. A music rack for a musical instrument having a keyboard, said rack comprising a 'hollow shelf, an inclined music supporting panel and means supporting the panel extending from the shelf, a lamp within said shelf, and translucent windows in the upper and lower surfaces of said shelf for casting diffused light over sheet music supported thereon and over the instrument keyboard disposed thereunder, said shelf being shiftable to variously position the lamp in respect to said keyboard.

9. In a musical instrument including a cabinet and a keyboard, the combination of a music rack comprising a hollow shelf, an inclined music supporting panel, and means supporting the panel extending from the shelf, a lamp within said shelf, and translucent windows in the upper and lower surfaces of said shelf for casting diffused light over sheet music supported thereon and over the instrument keyboard disposed thereunder, said rack bein mounted for movement into the cabinet when not in use.

10. In a musical instrument including a cabinet and a keyboard extending from one side thereof, the combination of a shelf, means shiftably securing the shelf within said cabinet for movement toward and away from the cabinet, a lamp carried by the shelf, a music supporting panel, and means shiftably supporting the panel by the cabinet and above the shelf, the relative position of the shelf and panel controlling the projection of the lamp rays upon said music supporting panel.

11. In a musical instrument including a cabinet and a keyboard extending from one side thereof, the combination of a frame, means shiftably mounting the frame for movement toward and away from the cabinet, a music supporting panel, means pivotally mounted in the panel on said frame, a shelf, and means shiftably mounting the shelf beneath said frame for movement independent of said frame toward and away from said cabinet, said shelf bein arranged to receive and position a portion of said panel, whereby the relative positions of the frame and shelf determine the pivotal position of the panel.

12. In a musical instrument cabinet, the combination of a music rack, and a rack support comprising a plurality of relatively rectilinearly shiftable members, means supporting said rack by said members for engagement therewith at a plurality of spaced points to determine the angle of inclination of the rack in respect to the support, and means supporting said sup-port for shifting movement as a unit relative to the instrument cabinet to variously position the rack in respect to the cabinet while maintaining the rack at a constant angle of inclination in respect to the support.

13. In a musical instrument cabinet, the combination of a music rack, a frame, means pivotally supporting the rack from the frame, a support shelf disposed beneath the rack, said support shelf having a plurality of spaced parallel grooves selectively engageable with the lower rack edge to support the rack, and means supporting said support shelf for shiftable movement relative to the cabinet while the support frame re- 7. mains stationary, to thereby control the pivotal position of the rack in respect to said support frame.

14. In a musical instrument including a cabinet, and a keyboard extending from one side thereof, the combination of a music rack supported by the cabinet above the keyboard, a shelf supported by the cabinet and disposed between the rack and the keyboard, a lamp carried by the shelf arranged to illuminate the rack when the shelf and rack are in predetermined position, and means supporting said shelf for shifting movement toward and away from the cabinet in respect to the rack to thereby control the intensity of illumination projected on the rack by the lamp.

15. A structure as defined in claim 1, wherein a lamp is carried by said extendable means to effect the illumination of the rack.

16. A music rack for a musical instrument having a keyboard, said rack comprising a hollow shelf and an inclined music supporting panel, means supporting the panel extendin above the shelf, a lamp within said shelf, and the upper surface of said shelf being provided with longitudinal transparent prisms to transmit light over sheet music supported on said panel, the surfaces of said prisms away from said supporting panel being substantially opaque.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Num er Name Date 1,359,706 Johanson Nov. 23, 1920 1,719,016 MacDow July 2, 1929 1,788,775 Moor Jan. 13, 1931 2,220,054 Sauerland Oct. 29, 1940 2,233,984 Knoblaugh Mar. 4, 1941 2,263,839 Farny Nov. 25, 1941 2,282,135 Janssen May 5, 1942 

